


The Way Back

by ChopsHitch



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Din has made progress, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Paz has issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28967532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChopsHitch/pseuds/ChopsHitch
Summary: He sighed to himself, wishing that things between them could be easier, like it had been once, when they were young and unguarded. But they were no longer children, they were men, twisted by war and torn apart by a cruel and uncaring universe. They no longer knew each other like they once did.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Paz Vizsla
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	The Way Back

**Author's Note:**

> So here is some of the fluff I promised you guys, however, this isn't a part of the House of Memories timeline, it's like a parallel universe after the events of Akaan. This was originally posted on my tumblr but I thought I would share it with you guys. It was a response to a prompt request of 'Din comforting Paz after a nightmare'. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

When Din woke up, he was alone. The Child, Grogu he told himself, was still asleep in his hammock but Paz was gone. He sighed to himself, wishing that things between them could be easier, like it had been once, when they were young and unguarded. But they were no longer children, they were men, twisted by war and torn apart by a cruel and uncaring universe. They no longer knew each other like they once did. 

He pushed himself out of bed, leaving his helm and his armour behind. The Crest hummed quietly around him and he allowed himself to be comforted by the familiar sounds oh his ship, his home. He was content here, in a way that he had not been in a long while and while the loneliness he had grown accustomed to had been blown apart at the seams, he would not change it. Not now that he had Paz back in his life, in his arms, in his bed. 

“Paz?” He called out, not expecting an answer because the galley was quiet and the fresher was open, so clearly Paz wasn’t around here. He had isolated himself into the cockpit, like he first had when they had reunited, refusing to take Din’s bed, to lie beside him as they had in their youth. And while it had hurt Din, that distance between them, he remembered that they were strangers now, the people they had once been were lost to them. Where Paz had been calm and kind, he was now angry and cold and Din, where he had been sharp edges and bitterness, was now empty, almost devoid until he had reclaimed Grogu and made them a clan of two. He allowed himself some small comfort with the child, although they were not safe, would probably never be safe until they found the mysterious Jedi. 

He climbed into the cockpit and found Paz huddled into the co-pilot’s chair, a sight which would, under any other circumstances be funny because Paz was a brute of a man, a giant with muscles and girth, but there was something in the set of his shoulders, that set Din on edge. 

“Paz?” He whispered as he reached out to touch him. He remembered in their youth how this had been Paz’s role, the comforter. Din had never been good at it, never been good with words or softness. Kindness was foreign to him. His hand landed on Paz’s shoulder and he braced himself for some kind of rebuke, whether verbal or physical. He remembered all the times he held a knife to Paz’s throat. Instead, Paz turned to look up at him. 

Paz still had his helmet on, a gesture that stung Din but he didn’t dwell on it. He was sure underneath, his grey eyes would be swimming with confusion, whether at Din touching him or whatever was wrong with him. “Are you okay?” 

“It’s nothing, Djarin.” He replied, shrugging off the hand on his shoulder and turning away. He remained curled up on himself in the co-pilot’s chair. Din sat down in his own chair and remained silent for a few moments. 

“You had a nightmare.” Din stated eventually. The concept was not lost on him; many times in their youth he had woken up screaming, lost and disorientated. Paz had been the one to calm him and soothe him, had been the one to wait for Din to return to reality and tell him about it, when he could. He saw the way that Paz’s body shivered. Paz nodded but said nothing. 

Din was beginning to resent the distance between them, knew when it had happened and when he was younger, blamed Paz for all that had happened between them. But now he was older, he knew the blame rested with both of them, they had both made mistakes and all he wanted now was to make amends; to leave the past behind them and move on. It was time. 

“Can you remember my grounding techniques?” He asked. “Five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell, one thing you can taste. You should try it, it helps.” 

He watched as Paz slowly began to unwind, to uncurl from himself and start to relax. He allowed himself to smile, whether it was to Paz or himself he wasn’t sure. It was nice that he could do this, could help Paz like Paz had been there to help him in his worst moments. Paz’s hands reached up and he removed his helmet. 

“How are you feeling?” Din whispered, gazing upon what should be a stranger’s face but was as familiar as his own. Grey eyes stared back at him, messy braids falling down into his face and a sliver of a scar, going from ear to chin, his face was smooth and almost expressionless. Din smiled anyway. 

“Not great,” Paz replied instead, turning his helmet over in his hands and fixing his gaze on it, rather than on Din. Din felt his inside twist, this was progress, he was sure. Paz wasn’t much for talking after a nightmare, never had been even in their youth. It was as if he didn’t like being weak in front of Din, and Din reasoned maybe that was true, Din had relied on him. He felt guilty for all the pressure he had once placed on him. He reached out and touched him again, and this time Paz shrunk into the touch. His eyes closed.

“You can talk to me you know? I’m here for you.” 

Paz nodded and opened his eyes again, looking into Din’s eyes, studying his face intently. “I dreamt about Mandalore; the night when we…separated.” 

Din wasn’t surprised, he too had dreamt about that night, dreamt about the last words he had spoken to Paz, unforgiving and cold. He had been so angry and hurt but he had never considered Paz’s feelings in all of that, had been to blind to his rage. His hand started stroking soothing circles on Paz’s shoulder absently, his other hand reached out to Paz’s thigh, resting it there. “Go on,” He urged, knowing that if Paz talked about it, maybe he would feel better, could move on, they could both move on. 

“The roles were reversed, it was you that stayed back to protect the Covert, and me going in the ship. And it was you that got shot at by the Troopers and I just…lost it…” Paz whispered to him, Din’s hands were moving of their own accord, trying to soothe imaginary wounds, old wounds that had not yet healed, even though it had been years since the Purge of Mandalore. “You died.” Paz confessed.

Din pulled him into a hug, surprising the both, pulling Paz into his body and holding him there because it had been so long since they had allowed themselves to touch, to comfort. They had become hardened warriors, fearsome and deadly but at the end of the day, they were both broken men, hurting and seeking comfort. His hand stroked down Paz’s spine, and Paz’s arms wrapped around his waist as Paz buried his face into Din’s chest. He wasn’t sobbing but his body was shaking, the remnants of the nightmare still lingering on his skin. 

“It’s okay,” Din soothed, “It’s over, we survived, we made it,” He repeated again and again, as Paz shook beneath him. “I’ve got you, Paz, I’m here, it’s okay, it’s over.” 

He felt Paz started to calm beneath him, nodding into his chest, the fight slowly leaving his body. Din kept his hand moving along Paz’s back, reaffirming that he was in fact here, they were safe. Mandalore had fallen and had burnt, but they were safe in the Razor Crest, safe with each other. 

“Let’s go back to bed,” Din suggested, as Paz pulled away from him, smiling shyly at Din. Like they were young again and unsure of where to go next. Din grabbed his hand, rubbing his thumb along Paz’s knuckles. “Come on, we all need sleep.”

Paz followed him back to the bunk silently, his hand still holding onto Din’s like a lifeline. When they were back in bed, Din pulled him into his body, letting Paz wrap his arms around him and hold him close. His fingers brushed through Paz’s messy braids and he felt Paz’s breathing even out. He smiled and thought for the first time since he had brought Paz along, that they would be alright, they could heal this rift between them and make themselves into something better than they had been before. 

Grogu cooed in his sleep above him.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want me to write stuff, comment with prompts or message me on tumblr with prompts, which I'll eventually post on here! 
> 
> My tumble is hopeless-heartbreak.tumblr.com


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